Whether you put breast milk or formula in your baby’s bottle, read this entire post thoroughly! There is a lot more to bottle feeding than one might think. In fact, until a few years ago we didn’t give any specific teaching about bottle feeding other than not to prop a bottle or lay a baby down to sleep with a bottle. Then we learned there is actually a lot more to it than just putting a bottle in a baby’s mouth! We hope you find this info not only helpful, but kind of fascinating…it truly is amazing how baby’s brains are wired and how their suck reflexes work. The way you bottle feed your baby can either work with or against your baby’s instincts – read on to find out!!

If you are breastfeeding exclusively: There is a “window” of opportunity when introducing a bottle to a breastfed baby is relatively easy. Too soon – bottles can interfere with latching. Too late – the baby is more likely to refuse to take the bottle.

This is why: Infants are born with an involuntary suck reflex, meaning they automatically suck on anything that goes in their mouth. A newborn will suck on anything – dad’s finger, mom’s breast, pacifier, bottle… So if we give breastfed babies bottles and pacifiers within the first month, they are more likely to imprint (solidify their suck-swallow-breathe learning pathway) on the artificial nipple, and it can interfere with them learning to latch well at the breast, which requires a very different suck-swallow-breathe strategy. After a while, (usually 2-3 months) their suck reflex becomes voluntary, meaning they can choose whether they suck or not.

So, an exclusively breastfed baby who has not been introduced to a bottle before their suck reflex becomes voluntary is likely to choose not to suck on a bottle; they will strongly prefer the breast, to the point of completely refusing a bottle even if they are hungry. The best time to introduce a bottle is at about 4-8 weeks. Even then, a baby knows his mother and might refuse the bottle from her – so Dads or grandmas often have more success introducing the bottle. Once a baby is taking a bottle well – continue to offer the bottle occasionally even if you don’t have to, to keep your baby in the “habit” of accepting the bottle.

Whether you put breast milk or formula in the bottle, best practices suggest bottle feeding so that the baby’s feeding experience is as close to breastfeeding (physiologically normal) as possible. Tickle baby’s lips with the bottle nipple (like you do your own nipple) then when your baby roots and their tongue comes forward, bring him/her onto the bottle (vs putting the bottle in their mouth). We bring babies onto the breast, so we should bring them onto the bottle. It might seem like a subtle point, but from the baby’s perspective, it’s the opposite experience. It’s like the difference between you feeding yourself (bringing the spoon to your mouth and taking food in when you want to) and being fed (someone putting food in your mouth for you…which no one I know likes). When you bottle feed, hold the bottle so the tip of the nipple is filled with milk (not the entire nipple) and the milk level in the bottle is horizontal (gravity-neutral). When you tip up a bottle, milk starts dripping right away, and can flow so fast that your baby (especially a newborn) gags, can’t catch their breath or take a break. Hold the bottle so the milk is gravity-neutral, and it doesn’t drip. The milk is there and available, but your baby has to suck and draw it out (like they do on the breast after the initial let-down of milk). This keeps your baby in the “driver’s seat” of the feeding experience – they suck when they want, take breaks when they want, just as they do on the breast. Watch this 3-minute video on paced bottle feeding to see a great demonstration of this strategy. Download and print these Bottle Feeding Guidelines for your baby’s caregivers, and read more on the kellymom website for further explanation and photos.

Please contact us if you have questions!

DISCLAIMER: We know when you surf the web for information, you can get conflicting results, and it’s not easy to know whether you are finding evidence-based, high quality recommendations. That’s part of our job here at Kodiak KINDNESS; we are here to support your informed decisions about infant feeding through your baby’s first year. We’ve done some background work, and to the best of our knowledge, this post reflects current best practices. However, the information contained in this post and any links contained herein is for your informational use only; it is not a substitute for professional advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Furthermore, Kodiak KINDNESS is not responsible for the accuracy of any information contained in this post or links contained herein; it is for you to review at your own risk and discuss, as needed, with your health care professional in order to make a plan that suits your individual circumstances.